MARION COUNTY –Bail has been set at $1 million for a 19-year-old Salem male charged with a Thursday night shooting that sent another man to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Nathaniel Fink

Nathaniel A. Fink is charged with Class X felony aggravated battery by the discharge of a firearm and Class 1 felony aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied structure.

Salem police responded around 10:30 p.m. Thursday to a call from a home in the 1100 block of West Elm of the shooting.

The 20-year-old Alexander Russell was initially transported by ambulance to Salem Township Hospital. He was then airlifted to a St. Louis area hospital for surgery.

According to Salem Police Chief Sean Reynolds, a family member of Russell said he was last reported to be in stable condition and is expected to survive.

Reynolds says an investigation was launched into the shooting, with Salem police being assisted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit.

As a result of that investigation, Fink was taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail. He’s next due in court August 7 for a preliminary hearing and is prohibited from having contact with Russell.

Fink and Russell are believed to have had a friendship prior to the shooting.

Russell reportedly said he was standing on the porch when he was shot in an apparent drive-by by and that he didn’t know who shot him.